The strifefilled merman
by Sunni D. Lockhart
Summary: A parody of the little mermaid. Cloud is half-shark, Tifa is a princess, and all our favorite Characters suit up for a fun-filled adventure under the sea! give it a chance, you wont be sorry you did!
1. Chapter 1

The Strife filled mermaid

The Strife filled merman

Chapter 1: A tale of the bottomless blue

The wind flapped noisily at the crisp white sails of the boat as it tussled along the foaming waves. Standing hazardously at the bow, a beautiful girl of about 18 threw her head back, and allowed the wind to catch her long dark tresses in its midst. The girl let out an excited giggle, and opened her ruby red eyes to gaze upon the pictures in the clouds above. "Tifa! Tifa darling, don't stand so close to the edge! What would I tell your father if you were to take a fall!?" a gentle, but panicked voice floated past Tifa's ears. It was Aerith, Tifa's nanny, who called so frantically to her. Tifa only smiled childishly, and waved her arms to her sides to feel the wind through the gapes in her fingers. Aerith scoffed in disapproval, "Such behavior from a girl your age, and a princess at that!" Yes, Tifa was the heir to her kingdom's throne. Her father, the king, was ruler of the Dauphine kingdom located by the sea. Tifa was not originally intended to be the heir to the kingdom. She once had an older brother, but he was sadly lost to the sea when he was only a baby. But Tifa was a wonderful princess, and a friend to everyone. Her father had been pressuring her for the past few months to find a suitable husband, but Tifa 'preferred her freedom' as she had put it. When Tifa finally decided to indulge her nanny and stepped down from the bow, her earring fell out. Tifa dove for it, but it fell with a plink into the waters below…

The tiny silver earring sank deeper and deeper into the dark depths, until it was grabbed by a passing merman. But this was no run-of-the-mill merman, this happened to be the only son of King Sephiroth, and future sovereign of all the ocean. His name was Prince Cloud, but hardly anyone called him such. His hair was a beautiful golden color, which stood up in spikes. He had beautiful eyes of the clearest blue that shone like the sun on the water. His tail was that of a shark's, which was rugged and nicked at the edges from tussles with different creatures of the deep. Let's just say Cloud didn't get along with EVERY shark in the sea.

Cloud turned the shiny object over in his fingers, admiring the way the light made it glisten. While he was busy debating what the object was, another merman flapped his way over. "Hey there Cloudy-boy!" the man called. This merman, was completely different in looks then Cloud, but not necessarily in the attraction department. He had jet black hair, that also was held up in messy spikes. His blue eyes were darker in color, but still shone with enthusiasm. He had a muscular physique, much like Cloud, but his pectorals were just a tad more impressive than Cloud's. His tail was that of a lion fish, with intensely spotted fins. His name was Zack Fair, best friend of Cloud Strife, our hero. He wasn't born in the same ocean Cloud was, and many still debated just how he got there in the first place. Zack didn't remember where he came from, but that didn't bother him so much at any rate.

"Hey Cloudy, whatcha got there?" Zack asked, gesturing to the earring. Cloud held it up to Zack so he could see it better. "I'm not quite sure, actually. It fell from the surface," Cloud informed him. Zack scratched his spikes, "Hey! Why don't we ask Cait Sith what it is? I'll bet he could tell us!" Cloud turned to the dark haired man, "Yeah, good idea." The two men promptly swam to the surface, to seek out the cat named Cait Sith.

When Cloud took his first few gulps of air, he spotted the tiny feline sunning himself on a small island. He had a megaphone clenched in his paw, held upside down. "Hey Cait! Over here!" Zack called energetically. Cait Sith perked up his ears, and beckoned the mermen over. "Oi lads! And what sort of tom-foolery are you two up to today?" Cloud smiled, and held up the tiny piece of jewelry, "I saw this shiny thing fall from the surface. What do you suppose it is?" Cait lifted the earring in his paw. "Aha! I know exactly what this is!" He piped boastfully. "This lads, is a piece of lady's jewelry!" Cloud and Zack looked at each other perplexed.

"Lasses wear these in their ears, see?" The feline held it up to his own ear to demonstrate. Zack gazed at it amazed, "Wow, these humans think of everything, huh Cloud?" The young prince grinned cheekily, and nodded.

After Cloud had retrieved the earring from Cait Sith, he carefully stored it in a small pouch wrapped around his dorsal fin. "Aye, it certainly is quite lovely! I'm sure the lady that lost it is grieving for it!" the cat said off-handedly, examining a claw. Cloud did feel rather sorry for the human, but then realized they should've been more careful with such a beautiful earring. As the sun began to dip beyond the skyline, the mermen decided that Cloud's father would become suspicious as to what was keeping them. The waved a quick goodbye to Cait Sith and dove back down beneath the waves.

Cloud swam slowly along the drifting currents, his tail making powerful turbines in his wake. Unknown to him, two glinting pairs of sea green eyes were following his shark-like movements. Two mermen with eel tails snaked their way through the course sea weed, struggling to keep up with the young prince. One had wild fiery red hair, while the other's head was as bare as a baby's. Their eyes were glowing, and emitting a strange aura; as if another was gazing through their own eyes.

Many leagues away, in a dark ship grave yard, a red haired man was swimming in maddening circles. He had dark navy eyes, lit with insanity. In front of him, a large bubble was floating stationary. Through it, he could see Prince Cloud swimming in solitude. "Hmph, there's nothing special about this kid," The man grumbled, "Just another punk rebel who thinks he's hot shit." He turned away from his portal, but turned back when he heard a nasally voice resonate through it. "I dunno boss, there may be a little more to this brat then meets the eye." Pinching the bridge of his nose, the man spoke into the bubble, "Well, keep an eye on him, then. But don't spend any extra time on him, you got that Reno?" He popped the portal bubble, "The Goddess bids us follow the path to victory. Know thy enemy and find the quickest route to victory." He quoted to himself, as he did quite frequently. "Sephiroth won't hold his title for much longer, this I swear!"

Author notes: Can anyone guess who the villain is? Haha. Anyway, a new take on the little mermaid. I thought it would be interesting to have Cloud be our aquatic hero in this version. Of course, it wouldn't be much fun if I stuck by the story, so I've added some fun plot twists along the way for your reading pleasure. Chapter 2 will be up soon, so be on the lookout!


	2. Once you meet her

Chapter 2: Once you meet her

Chapter 2: Once you meet her…

"Now honestly, tell me where you have been for the past four hours, Cloud," Sephiroth spoke calmly. Cloud had been ordered to make an audience with his father as soon as he had arrived back. The young prince glared defiantly back at the Silver haired man, "I don't think that it's any of your business, _father_," Cloud emphasized venomously. Sephiroth chuckled, "Just admit it, you most definably breached the surface." Cloud lowered his gaze to the ground, "So what if I did?" Sephiroth heaved a groan of frustration, "Do you have any idea what kind of things there are above our world? I'll tell you, HUMANS." The man turned away from his son, "I myself have never been able to fathom why they are so disgusting. They are the bane of the earth, self-centered and never satisfied." He turned his cold, icy stare back to Cloud, "What have you to say?" Cloud met his father's gaze without intimidation. "Humans cannot possibly be as terrible as you say. For I have seen what they can produce, and I have judged that it is good." Before Sephiroth could protest, he cut him off, "And you could never understand just how many great things there are that lie beyond your own narrow sense of the world. There are many times that I believe you don't even want to know who I am!" The prince snapped angrily. Sephiroth kept a cool demeanor about him, "Cloud, please don't throw a fit. I assure you, I wish to be your friend."

Cloud drew away from him, "You wish nothing of the sort!" He swam away quickly before his father could call him back. The sea king collapsed onto his throne as his royal advisor, Angeal, took his place by Sephiroth's side. "Sir, is everything alright?" he asked dutifully. The king shook his silver mane, "I have more important things to deal with than Cloud's reckless behavior." Angeal furrowed his brow in Sephiroth's uncaring response. "But sir, he is your son. Aren't you a little put off by his shaky relationship with you?" Sephiroth did not respond.

Cloud had sulked away, and shut himself inside his private grotto. Only Zack and he knew the secret to getting in and out of it. He turned the earring over and over in his palm. The jewel in it sent a rainbow of colored lights dancing across the grotto walls. Cloud smiled, luminating his whole face. When he went to put the earring away, he heard the boulder in front of the grotto roll away. Zack rushed in, his fins fluttering, "Cloud! Dude, the coolest thing is going on above the surface! Is super awesome!" he waved his arms in circles to emphasis his excitement. Cloud quirked an eyebrow at his friend's eccentric performance. Before he could question Zack's motives, he was dragged quite literally to the surface.

Before him was the most spectacular thing the young prince had ever seen. The biggest boat he had ever laid eyes one was cruising smoothly over the glassy water. Around it, gigantic explosions of neon-colored light created a halo circling the ship. His eyes glazed over in amazement, and without a second thought started moving towards the ship at a rapid speed. Zack called after him in panic, "Cloud wait! There are humans on that boat!" He flapped after his blonde friend, "They'll catch you! Come back!"

Cloud drew nearer and nearer the boat, and the music and shouting from the deck grew louder and louder as he approached. He realized by now that he was in potential danger, but reasoned with himself that he still had the cover of darkness on his side. Scaling his way up the side of the enormous ship, he stumbled upon a small porthole off the side of the deck. Using extreme caution, he poked his head through the tiny opening. What he sound truly surprised him. He saw creatures that looked very like him from the waist up, but instead of colorful tails, long skinny legs jutted out. 'These must be humans!' he realized. The humans were making these delightful noises with strange instruments he had never seen before, and they were moving their bodies in rhythm to the sounds. This entertained the young prince very much so, and he continued watching. After a good few minutes, he thought that it would be foolish to stay any longer for fear of getting caught. As he began to climb down, something shiny caught his eye. He quickly searched for the small glimmer again, and found it. What he saw the most astounding, most breathtaking, most beautiful thing he had ever seen in his life. The glimmer came from a small earring, the twin to the one he had found earlier that day. But this was not the incredible sight that froze his heart. What had truly smitten him was the beauty whose ear was adorned with the jewelry.

She was indeed, most wondrous fair. Her hair was as black as ebony, with pale, pearly skin that almost glistened. Her eyes were deep crimson that shone like diamonds. Her figure was perfectly curved and formed; any woman alive would envy her. She had a whimsical expression her face, as she played tug-of-war with a four legged creature. Her looked a little like Cait Sith, but much larger and covered in thick red fur. Cloud leaned closer into the portal and gazed transfixed on the woman laughing and playing with the animal. His fantasy was interrupted when another woman came up behind his beauty, and pulled her over to the side of the railing. They began walking towards where Cloud was hiding, and he scrambled to move out of their line of vision. The beautiful girl leaned far over the railing, while the second woman kept her safe distance. "Now, Tifa my dear, as you are well aware, now that you are 18 you will be expected to marry," the second woman said gently. The beautiful girl, who he figured must be named Tifa, rolled her eyes, and concentrated on the gently rolling waves below. "But Aerith, I don't want to get married!" she complained sourly, "No man ever wants to get to know me, they only gawk at me strangely and it frightens me away. I am certain I will never find a suitable husband so everyone may as well give up trying to engage me to every prince in the world!" she exclaimed. Cloud held some sympathy for her. His father had struggled to find him a mate for years, but Cloud wanted none of it. After all, being a highly eligible male of 21 and still unmarried, wasn't looked upon with a friendly eye.

He was unable to tear his gaze away from her. 'Did my heart love till now?' he wondered, 'For I swear at sight. I never saw true beauty until this night.' He was so struck with passion, he nearly considered climbing aboard and introducing himself. Before he could get any more wild fantasies, the weather suddenly took a turn for the worse. Vicious winds whipped through the sails, the waves tousled the vessel like it was a child's play thing. Tifa was pulled away from the edge by the Aerith woman, and Cloud leapt from the ship with a flip of his black tipped tail. From the water, Cloud watched in horror as the ship was torn apart by the storm. Many humans were escaping through tiny boats that they lowered into the water. He prayed with all his heart that Tifa would make it to one of those boats. He saw her being ushered into to one by Aerith, but then saw her sharply turn away, and bolt back in the other direction. 'What?! No, go back!' he willed her. She was trying to free the four legged creature, which had become trapped under a pile of over turned crates. Once she had wrenched it free, the creature scampered away and plunged into the ocean, where it was hauled into a boat. Tifa tried to run after it, but her pant leg had snagged on a nail. She pulled and pulled at it, but it was stuck fast. She had only then noticed that a spark of flame had ignited one of the fireworks, and there was an enormous explosion.

Cloud's heart stopped when he saw the ship go up in flames. Without one second, he dove under the water towards the wreckage. His blue eyes darted back in forth in search of his love, and he saw her sinking away from him. He grabbed her by the waist and crushed her to his chest. He thrashed his mighty tail to the surface for her to breathe. He heard her splutter and cough up the water she had swallowed. Placing her head on his shoulder, he began swimming towards the nearest shore.

It was daybreak by the time Cloud had reached the shore. He crawled onto the sand, and laid her out onto it. Her watched her chest rise and fall in steady breathes. He hovered over her, and let his eyes roam over her flawless features. Her beauty had hypnotized him. He traced his finger along her jaw line, letting it trail down to her collarbone. As he leaned his face closer to hers in hopes of stealing a precious kiss, he heard a loud barking noise and continuous shouts of "Tifa! Tifa! Princess Tifa!" Just as Cloud began to pull away from her, her crimson eyes began to flutter open. Her bleary vision showed only two amazing blue eyes, and a flash of gold before her rescuer was gone.

Cloud watched as Tifa was helped by Aerith and several other women to walk down the beach. Zack, who had struggled to follow him all night long, panted in shear exhaustion behind him. "Cloud you idiot!" He snapped, "You couldn't have stopped and asked if I wanted to come? Geez man, I expected better, ya deuche!" When he saw Cloud wasn't listening, he followed the shark hybrid's stare. He got an eyeful of Tifa, and suspected what had happened. "Ohh! So you were trying to hook a hottie, eh Cloudy-boy?" He nudged Cloud playfully. "Wow, a human babe, huh Cloud? Oooh, I dunno how Old man Sephy will feel about this one!" Poor Zack was silenced by a fist in his mouth.

Meanwhile…

"Man, oh, man Genny! You won't believe this!" Reno the eel snickered happily. "So it turns out that Sephiroth's headstrong bad-boy son is stiff for a human girl! Is that rich or what?" he cackled in sheer amusement. Genesis swished his barracuda tail in thought. "Well, I suppose I could find something useful from this, uh, Cloud kid." He turned away from the energetic Reno and ever-stoic Rude, "But what in the world could he give me that would be useful for my maiming of Sephy?" He pondered this over for a few minutes, while Reno flashed flirtatious glances at Rude. Rude, of course, could not see these, since he seemed so interested in the stalactites on the ceiling of Genesis's lair. Genesis suddenly snapped his fingers in triumph. "Eureka!" he cried. He turned to Reno and Rude, "Make sure you pay extra attention to that boy! When he starts moaning for that girl, bring him straight here! I have a very use for one of his…uncommon assets." Reno did and mock salute, while Rude bowed respectfully. As they slithered off, Genesis wrung his hands together in fiendish glee. "The Goddess guides us to our foe's weakness. Turn their own strength against them!"

Authors notes: Pheww! That took awhile! Anyway, I don't know when I'll be able to update next because I'm taking a trip out to The mountains for about 3 weeks. Hopefully this should tide you over for a bit!

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	3. The Young and Perverted

Chapter 3: The young and the purvey

Chapter 3: The young and the purvey

Many bleak and lonely days had passed since Cloud's passionate encounter with the love of his life. Since that fateful day on the beach he could think of nothing else but Tifa. His mind was in a state of madness. All day he flitted around the great sea palace; eyes aglow and form relaxed.

Whenever Zack came to call, Cloud responded dazedly, and rarely heard Zack's irritated grumblings. The poor young lionfish was extremely insulted by his best friend's lax replies and unfeeling attitude towards him over the past few days. Of course he understood that he had feelings for the beautiful girl he had seen on the beach, but surely Cloud was not SO taken with her that he would ignore his best friend! Was he?

On a particularly sunny day, King Sephiroth happened to pass his son in the courtyard. Cloud stopped next to his father, "Good morning father," he smiled and said breathily, "Wonderful day, isn't it?" He swam away, doing little loops and swerves in his path. The King of the ocean was quite taken aback that Cloud had actually SPOKEN to him! He had never done anything like this on his own accord for over five years! This made Sephiroth all the more suspicious of the young shark…

Dauphine Beach, Tifa

Usually, the feel of the warm ocean water lapsing over her feet felt soothing to Tifa. But ever since her near death experience of nearly drowning, it seemed all she could think about was the mysterious man who had saved her. Day after day she would wait faithfully on the beach; praying that her rescuer would appear again so she could thank him properly. She closed her eyes, and waded waist-deep into the comforting and inviting waters. Her ruby eyes opened again to gaze longingly at the horizon line. "Tifa, what in world do you think you're doing?!" an all-too-familiar voice demanded. Tifa cocked her head to see Aerith, arms akimbo, tapping her foot against the sand. Tifa smiled at her sheepishly, "I'm sorry Aerith, but the waves looked so bright and happy I just had to be apart of them! Look how they sparkle so!" The auburn haired woman swept her eyes over the sloshing crests, but all she saw was plain old water. "Honestly my dear, I fail to see how you find such delight over the most plain and ordinary of things."

Aerith brushed her bangs away from her face, "Come now, another suitor is waiting for you at the castle and you are not fit to be seen!" She swept a critical eye over Tifa, "Your hair needs brushing, your skin needs powdering and certainly a change of attire is required! How do you expect to win a husband in shredded tank tops and destroyed jeans?" Aerith looked into Tifa's sparkling orbs, and saw that she had harped far too harshly. Sending an apologetic smile, she called her to the shore once again. The young maiden tuned to glance at the shore once more before giving into the wishes of her insisting nanny.

Cloud waded offshore of the beach that Tifa was retreating from. He stared longingly at her form as it vanished from sight. He released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding and leaned his arm against a nearby rock he had used to conceal himself. His blush was still evident on his cheeks even after his maiden had long departed. Zack sloshed around behind the young prince completely drowning in his boredom, and whenever a MERMAN is drowning in ANYTHING you know something's up. "C'mon Cloudy! You have to let this go man! I'm dying with this whole love-struck thing!" Cloud turned sharply on his companion, "Let it go?" Zack shrank back from the suddenly fuming prince, "I have just met the most beautiful girl that has ever graced the planet, realized that she is the love of my life, and you expect me to just LET IT GO!" Zack submerged himself up to his eyes and shook his head vehemently. Cloud sighed heavily and dipped his head back, "Man Zack, I feel like I'm losing my mind…"

Zack re-emerged himself, and looked meaningfully at Cloud, "What are you going to do then? You're going crazy this way." Cloud glanced back at the golden beach wear Tifa's footprints still lingered behind. "I think that…" he said, "Tomorrow when she comes back to the beach, I'm going to see her." Zack snorted, "Oh yea, like you haven't already been doing that everyday, right?" Cloud shook his head, "No, I mean I'm going to meet her. Face to face."

Meanwhile…

Genesis was right in the middle of pondering his extensive voodoo texts, when he noticed he was being observed by none other than…yourselves! He glared angrily, "Hey, get out of here! I'm busy plotting up something delicious for Mister Lover-boy and I don't need any of you blabbing about it!"

Obviously there will be no progress with Genesis today, so sorry loves.

Author note: Yes, this is terribly short I know, but this is sort of a bridge to the really juicy stuff coming up! Thank you everyone for your patience in waiting for this chapter and for your lovely reviews! My mountain trip went beautifully, but it really took me awhile to gather my thoughts on this fic. So yea! Don 't give up hope on me!


	4. Seeing is Believing

Chapter 4: Seeing is believing

"Cloud, listen to me, do you have any idea just how dangerous this is?" Zack pleaded to the shark man. Cloud could not hear him as he scrubbed his sleek mesh-like skin on his tail excitedly, "She's going to go crazy when she sees how smooth my skin is! Every girl in the whole ocean would flip for me!" Cloud tried arranging his spiky blonde locks, but to no avail. Zack gnawed on his knuckle nervously, "Cloud, dude, please! What if she gets scared and tells other humans? Every fisherman in the world will be out to find us! You have to see that this is an incredibly stupid idea! The young prince didn't seem to acknowledge or care of his friends pleas. He turned to the lionfish sharply, "If you can't respect the fact that I love her then you might as well just go away. You're just as bad as my father." Without a second care, he swam with deliberation towards the surface. Zack just floated there for a few minutes, not sure of what to do. He couldn't stop Cloud by himself, and as much as he hated to betray his friend, he knew it had to be done, for the sake of both of them. 'It will take him at least an hour to reach the shore; I still have some time…'

Angeal was busily instructing a group of palace guards when Zack came barreling towards him. He had stopped just short of knocking the advisor out of balance. "What is it now, Zack? I've no time to play with you today," He had snapped angrily. In his mind, he was exceedingly happy to see the young lionfish. Though he was at least five years his senior, Angeal had a bit of a fancy towards the exuberant merman. "Angeal, I need help…" he began tentatively. The advisor's demeanor changed when he realized Zack's distraught expression. "What's the matter?" Zack fidgeted nervously, as if he was unsure of whether or not to reveal something, "It's about Cloud…" At the mention of the prince's name, Angeal felt his sense of duty to the crown flare up, "What's wrong? Is he all right?" Zack looked up at him with sincere alarm, "I think…he's in trouble."

Cloud's mighty tail thrashed the surrounding waters, pushing him closer and closer towards the shore. His whole mind was filled with nothing but thoughts of the beautiful princess. How brilliant a shade of red her eyes were, the soft sheen of her ebony hair, the angled slant of her heart-shaped face, all of her was stunningly lovely. His sweet fantasies of the girl were rudely interrupted by a snide, shrill voice hailing him from behind. "Yoohoo! Your highness! May I please speak to you? Pretty please?" Cloud turned his sharp mako eyes on a red headed eel that was swishing his tail in a vain attempt to catch the prince. Following him was a second eel, much larger in stature and with a head as bald as a baby's.

The red head's blue eyes glinted with mischief as he approached the mighty shark, "Oh, your highness! I'm so glad I caught you; you're going to see the princess Tifa, aren't you?" Cloud wriggled in the water, anxious to leave, "I don't know how you came by that little tidbit of information, but yes I am. Now if you will excuse, I must see her." He made to leave, but the red head acted quickly and blocked his path, "See her? You mean, you weren't actually thinking of SPEAKING to her, were you?" Cloud started back, "So what if I was? I can do as I please! Now, get out of my way before I am forced to resort to more forceful tactics," he snapped his canines threateningly. The bald eel swam to the red heads side, prepared to defend his colleague. The red head spoke again, "Now now, your highness, don't be so uppity! Do you really think that the princess wants to see you as you are? Fins and all?" Cloud relaxed his tensed muscles, and stared at the eel strangely, "What are you getting at?" The red head sneered at the confused prince, "C'mon, she's a human right? She's not gonna want to hook up with a FISH. Are you kidding? I mean, how the hell are you supposed to fu—" The red head was cut off as the second eel covered his vulgar mouth.

Cloud looked down at his sleek fish-like appendage. What had only moments ago brought him such pride, now brought him only shame and inadequacy. How could he have been so delusional to think that Tifa, with her long slender legs, would ever want a man with a shark tail? He gripped at his fleshy scales with contempt, willing them to vanish.

The red head shook off the bald one's hand and swam closer to the embarrassed royal, "Now, don't worry about you tail! I know someone who can fix you!" Cloud looked up hesitantly, "Fix me? You mean…get rid of my tail?" The eel nodded rambunctiously, causing bubbles to form around his bobbing head, "Yup! Sure can! Genesis can give you a pair of legs! Well, actually more like THREE legs if you count your pe-" The bald one slapped his hand once again over the red heads mouth. Shaking off the hand again, he rubbed his chin, "By the way, my name is Reno, and this guy here is Rude. And might I add, his defiantly lives up to his name," He gave his chin another painful scratch.

The prince knew who Genesis was. An idiotic barracuda that was hell-bent on out competing his father in everything. Thus far, he had been unsuccessful. Not caring what he had to go through, just so long as he could be near his beautiful Tifa, he decided to follow Reno towards his death as merman, and his birth as a human.

………………………………………………………………………………

Genesis's lair was a foul smelling grotto that was littered with the stench of rotting fish scales. Cloud had to hold his nose and breathe through his mouth to get past the door way. Reno and Rude, not fazed by the disgusting smell, swam in quickly. "Geny! Geny! We brought you a guest!" Reno called in a sing song voice. Genesis slithered out from a nook in the cave towards Cloud, "What an honor to meet the prodigious son of the _great_ King Sephiroth! Come in, great warrior, how may I help you?"Cloud did not miss the disdainful sarcasm he placed on the 'great' before his father's name. Not that he cared much for his father in the first place. "Do you think you could give me legs to replace my fins?" The shark asked hesitantly. Genesis's lips curled upward in a satisfied sneer. "Ah, of course, I know how much you desire your precious little princess." He slunk over to a strange shaped metal slab bearing many different bottles upon it, "Though…I must add, my services require a decent amount limitations and expenses." Cloud growled deep in his throat, "It doesn't matter to me. All I want is Tifa." The barracuda chortled wickedly, "Really? You would sacrifice the ocean that you love, your royal status, and your friends, all for a pretty face?" Cloud's eyes dimmed, his cheeks flushed, his stomach turned. Would he really give it all up? Was Tifa's love really worth all of it? Sensing his indecision, Genesis plucked a vile from the slab. "I need an answer_ your_ _majesty."_ Gulping, he steadied himself, "Yes, of I course I would. I love Tifa, I know I do."

"Well, we'll just see won't we?" Brandishing the vile, he sloshed it's contents lazily. "This will turn you into a human. Just so you know, when you first step on land, it will hurt terribly. Like a thousand knives stabbing into your foot. Now, a few ground rules…" He set the vile down with a clink and slithered a little closer to Cloud. "You cannot reveal the true existence of mermen. That includes letting her know that you rescued her. Now listen, this is really important, you must make Tifa love you in two weeks time, understand? You must also love her truly for who she is. If she doesn't, well, let's just say that you will meet a rather unfortunate end."

Cloud furrowed his brow in fear. Perhaps he _was_ taking this a little too far…No! He wouldn't let his fear take him from Tifa! "Fine, I agree to your conditions, now give me the potion!" Genesis waved his finger tauntingly, "Not yet, Cloud. We haven't discussed my payment yet. Nothing is free, kiddo." Slumping his shoulders, he stirred the water surrounding his tail, "Well, how much do you want?" Laughing at the Prince's ignorance of his true design, he swayed back and forth with the light current, "It's not money I'm after. What I want…are your fins…and your mako vision." Cloud was greatly startled. His fins? His vision? For the love of Neptune, really? Before he could change his mind, he bared his claws, and ripped off his dorsal and anterior fins. Roaring in pain and agitation, he watched as his blood clouded the water around him. Slightly repulsed, Reno and Rude gathered the shark fins, and handed them to Genesis, who placed them inside two sludge filled tanks.

The prince staggered and floundered helplessly from the loss of balance; the absence of his fins leaving him immobile. Trying his best to mask his delight at seeing the prince so totally at his mercy, Genesis seized Cloud by the arms, and flung him atop the metal slab, knocking several bottles over in the process. The deranged barracuda took a sharpened conch shell lying next to Cloud, and stabbed it into his cornea. The shark hybrid shrieked in agony, the mako fluid draining from his eye. The pouch in the shell caught the gooey fluid as it dripped from Cloud's eye. As more and more of the potent liquid seeped out, the more difficult it became for Cloud to focus his sight. Once all the mako had been harvested from his left eye, Genesis repeated the process on his right. The prince couldn't find the energy to scream anymore, and lay passively as his other eye swam in pain. He began to only see shapes and shadows; then finally his whole world went black.

Blind and helpless, Cloud lay shivering on the table, convulsing from the after-effects. Reno had to avert his eyes from the gory scene. Cloud's tear ducts oozed blood and traces of mako. His once brilliant glowing ocean eyes were now glazed over in pale blue film. His most prominent sense, his sight, was now lost to him.

Gripping Cloud's hand in his, Genesis closed his fingers around the glass vile containing the potion he desired. "You will not tell her who you truly are Cloud Strife. But just so you aren't tempted…" Genesis placed two fingers over Cloud's lips, glowing with an enchantment. "I have just stolen the word, 'merman' from you. You shall not ever be able to say it to her." Thinking he'd finished with the now crippled shark, he turned on the two eels, "Well, get rid of him. We're finished here."

"Cloud!" a frantic voice bellowed into the chasms of the cave. Startled, the barracuda hybrid faced the entrance where a lionfish and stingray were trying to force their way inside. "Who are you? Get out of here!" Genesis barked, "Get rid of them!" he ordered the eels. Reno and Rude sparked with electric energy, preparing for a fight. Zack tentatively swam forward, "No, wait! I just want my friend!" Eyeing him suspiciously, Genesis backed away towards the fallen prince, "You can't help him. He's chosen his fate." Cloud strained to lift his head towards the direction of the resonance of his friend's voice, "Zack? Zack?!"

Zack looked over Genesis's shoulder at his butchered companion, "Cloud…What did they do to you?" he whispered. Genesis blocked Cloud from his line of sight, "Nothing he didn't want me to do! He asked for this! Now, get out! You can't do anything for him!" The lionfish looked back at Angeal, who was poising his stinger at Rude who had attempted to attack him. His eyes darted back forth, trying to figure out a solution. He blinked slowly as an idea occurred to him. "Turn me into a human, too." Genesis started back, caught off guard by his request. "Did I hear you right, boy? You wish to shed your fins for legs?" Cloud, who had heard his friend's hastily made declaration, flailed his arms in panic, "Zack! No, please! You can't do this!" Angeal was struggling to fight off the eels who had tag teamed to keep him away from the cave, "Zack! Listen to me! Don't condemn yourself to this! Please stop!" Zack merely smiled back at Angeal, and swam towards Genesis, "C'mon, hook me up with footsies. I won't leave Cloud out there to die."

The barracuda pondered Zack's position. Could this insignificant lionfish pose any real threat to his ultimate design? Certainly not. "Fine then, if that's what you want. In return…I want your voice." Zack tapped his throat, "What could you use my-"Mine is simply too nasally for my taste. I would much prefer a rich baritone like yours! Oh yes, your voice will do just fine," Genesis sneered. Determined to save his friend, Zack swam deliberately forward, and allowed the sorcerer to wrap his hand around his neck. There was a sudden painful jolt that shot through Zack body like a man-o-war's poison. The vengeful barracuda pushed the boy against the grotto wall, and taking his conch in hand, made an incision in Zack's throat where his neck met his collarbone. Gnawing at his lip to hold back his cries, Zack bared the brutal surgery with courage. Genesis tactfully scooped out three of his vocal tendons, and with a haphazard spell, sealed the slit in his throat. Spluttering and coughing, Zack expelled blood from his mouth and shook his head in desperation to relieve the burning in his throat. The barracuda fetched a duplicate of the potion he had given to Cloud mere moments ago, and pressed it into Zack's palm.

Tucking the bottle in the crook of his arm, Zack flitted weakly towards Cloud. Tugging and prodding at his friend's limp form, he managed to hoist his arm over his shoulders. Angeal, horrified by the gruesome scene, forced his way past Rude and Reno finally. He wrapped his heavily muscled arms around the pair, and flapped his cartilage wings as hard as he could towards the surface.

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Angeal drew ragged breathes, exhausted from his burdened swim to the shore. He stopped about ten feet to the shore, "Can you manage the rest of the way with him, Zack?" The raven haired man gave two precise nods, and took Cloud's weight upon himself. Releasing the bodies of the lionfish and finless shark, the captain of the guard backed away, "I'm afraid I can't offer you anymore help from here. I…will promise not to reveal your actions to the King…" He looked forlornly at Zack, "Please, help him Zack. You're his lifeline, take care of him." Zack nodded again. Zack kicked his fins lightly, enough to get them to where the sand began to dip down towards the water. When he looked back, Angeal was gone.

Laying Cloud out gently on the soft sand, he pressed his fingertips into the shark's palm. "I feel you, Zack. Please, can you hand me my vile?" Slowly, he complied. Feeling for the stopper, Cloud uncorked the bottle, and swallowed its contents quickly. Zack mimicked his motions. A tingle shot down their spines as their tails began to split. Zack's scales shed away, his fins dropped off like leaves from a tree; long muscular limbs shaped and filled out from below his waist. Cloud felt lighter, and somewhat exposed with his tail beginning to spread out condense its muscle. When the transformation was complete, Cloud and Zack lay silent. Zack, using his elbows, crawled up beside Cloud and pulled them both further up the beach. The moon glowed off their milky pale skin that was spread completely bared. The pair closed their eyes and fell into a stress-induced sleep.

(A/N): I profusely apologize for the many months it has taken to complete this chapter. I hope that the progress in the story has pleased the majority of you. Please be patient with me, and I will continue with this story as best as I can. Reviews are greatly appreciated. Thank you all for your generous patience.


	5. Dauphine Beauties

Chapter five: Dauphine Beauties

Life of Tifa

Princess Tifa of the Dauphine Kingdom was not a girl to be underestimated. She was self-sufficient, and non-compliant to the standards of women being delicate and fragile. She believed that her greatest asset was her strength. Unknown to most, she had an infatuation with martial arts. Being able to bend and twist her limbs in a beautiful yet powerful display gave her an unbelievable feeling of independence.

This was not to say that she was completely unfeminine. Quite the contrary, she embraced her female psyche with enthusiasm. She was sweet and kind, bright and cheerful, and a perfect friend to everyone. She was beautiful, and she knew it to some extent. She put in effort to the upkeep of her personal appearance, not for the impression of others, but for herself.

She was loved and admired by many, but her father found her to be nothing but trouble. He once had a son, the intended heir to the throne. Tragically, the baby boy was washed away to sea in a boating accident, and presumed drowned. Tifa, being the only other child of the family, received the right to the crown by default. Unsettled with the idea of a woman ruling the country, the king exercised every means possible to find a suitable husband for her. This disgusted Tifa, and she insisted that she would be more than capable of managing a country on her own. Unable to grasp the 21st century idea of 'equality between the sexes' her father remained resolute on his conditions.

Despite her father's outdated mentality, Tifa remained positive and friendly towards everyone, even her would-be suitors, who she managed to reject time and time again. Although she claimed to have no deep emotional attachment to any man, her heart told her otherwise. For no matter how hard she tried, she could not get the thought of those amazing eyes that she saw on the beach. Those brilliant blue-green glowing eyes that bored into her soul, and burned into her mind…

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Historic Dauphine Castle, Destiny Islands

It was horrible. It was gruesome. It was absolutely, downright unacceptable. There was no cable television. Tifa squeezed the remote control with the idea that if she squeezed hard enough, the channels would automatically adjust themselves. They didn't. Letting out a guttural sound from the back of her throat, she threw down the remote on her bedspread. "What sort of Vacation is this? Taking me to this Old Castle for my birthday, and NOT having quality TV? I was able to tolerate not having any ketchup on my omelets, or having to attend Potential fiancé dates, but c'mon! Throw me a bone here, God!" She bounced dramatically onto her four-poster bed, "This is the worst birth-week _ever."_ Rolling onto her stomach, she reached for her PSP…only to grasp free air. "What the..?" Staring down confusedly at the floor, she saw her tiny silver game consol held tenderly in the jaws of Nanaki, her red wolf-lion. He stared up at her with playful amber eyes, flicking his flaming tail from side to side. Smiling, she patted the bedspread twice, giving Nanaki the indication to pounce up. He happily complied, sinking into the downy comfort of the feather mattress. Tifa scratched his ears and retrieved her PSP from his mouth.

Tifa's silent reverie was broken by a soft knock at her door. "Come in!" She chirped encouragingly. The door eased open slightly to reveal a skinny brown-haired boy glancing shyly into the room, "Hi Tifa," he squeaked, blushing in a boyish manner. Tifa bounced up from the bed, "Hi Denzel! Come on in!" she urged. Denzel was a ten year old boy that Tifa had found living in an alleyway in the city near her father's estate. She took an instant liking to him, and adopted him as her younger brother. Denzel, ever grateful to her kindness to him, appointed himself as her 'personal protector'. "I got rid of the prince of Junon for you, Tifa! I told him that you were sick and wouldn't see him today." The boy rattled off, having new found enthusiasm. Tifa let out a relaxed breath, "Thanks Denz, I really wasn't in the mood to see anyone today." Sensing some tension in her voice Denzel perched on the edge of her bed, "Are you still thinking about that person that saved you from the hurricane?" he questioned. Tifa lay back on the bed, "Maybe a little…I just wanted to find him and thank him. If he hadn't rescued me, I would be dead now. I think that deserves a little gratitude, doesn't it?" She leaned over and hugged Nanaki's neck, staring out the window at the ocean longingly, "He had such nice eyes…Such pretty, blue eyes…"

"Aw, don't go all love-struck on me NOW Teef!" a whimsical, sing-song voice teased from the window. The addressed brunette snickered, and flipped off the edge of the bed towards the window. Opening the drapes wider, she looked down from the windowsill to see a slender teenage girl balancing on the ledge below the window. She had short, cropped black hair held out of her eyes by a black and white ribbon tied around her head. Her large, stormy-violet eyes shone with spunk and mischief, which complimented the perpetual crooked grin plastered on her face. "Yuffie, do you always have to be spying in on my conversations? Why not just come in the door?" Tifa asked. Yuffie laughed comically, putting on a falsetto voice, "Nyuck nyuck nyuck! Because a great ninja always has to be one-step ahead!" She took a dramatic leap towards the windowsill, caught the edge, and hoisted her legs up through the opening, her torso soon following. "Tada! Cirque de Soleil can kiss my Wutaian butt!" She flaunted, doing mock posses for Tifa's amusement. Denzel clapped happily, thoroughly enjoying the ninja girl's playful antics.

The princess grinned, and plopped back down to her spot on the bed, "So anyway Yuffie, what are doing up here? I thought you were out playing with Vincent." The ninja morphed her grin into a lopsided frown and crossed her arms over her chest, "Well, Vinnie was going on about some mission thingy with Reeve, and was acting all 'lone wolf' and stuff, so I decided to play with you instead!"

Tifa blew a strand of bangs out of her eyes, and fell back onto the mattress, "Well, I'm not sure today is a good day to play…Aerith is playing way too deep into the 'find Tifa a husband' game, and won't let me leave this toppled over old castle until I talk to a suitor. And believe you me, if I have to listen to one more guy babble on about how freakin' _beneficial_ our marriage would be, I'm gonna blow up this whole island!" Nanaki whined, pressing his muzzle under Tifa's arm to comfort her. Yuffie taped her chin, and then stiffened smiling naughtily, "So, let's just sneak out then! No big deal, right?" Denzel's face brightened at the mention of sneaking out, with the risk of being caught and potential danger, "Yeah! That sounds fun!" Weighing her options, Tifa lifted off the bed, and quietly cracked open her bedroom door. Peering out cautiously, the princess watched two security guards wander casually around the corridor, pretending like they weren't really guarding her room at all. Closing the door with a soft 'click', the brunette stood, and snuck over to the window, "What Aerith doesn't know, won't hurt her." Denzel and Yuffie high fived excitedly while Nanaki wagged his tail and gave an upward inflected whine.

Dauphine Beach

"Isn't this amazing!?" Tifa called over her shoulder to the others. The group raced down the slopes and dunes of the white-sanded beach, laughing and stumbling all the way. When she reached the water's edge, Tifa tripped and fell over a chunk of driftwood, digging the heels of her palms into the downy blanket of sediment. Laughing breathily, she rolled onto her back gazing happily at the turquoise sky. The trio joined her in the sand, allowing their bare feet to be tickled by the lapping waves. "Ahh, this is my favorite place on Gaia…" The princess sighed dreamily. Yuffie leaned over and tickled Tifa's stomach, "Really? Even better than Gold Saucer?" She nodded, "I grew up on this beach! Of course it's the best!" She sat up suddenly, "But, I do think we need to plan a trip to Gold Saucer one of these days. I haven't been there since the fall!"

Nanaki sneezed, and rolled himself onto his feet. Dancing around in circles, he pulled on the hem of Tifa's tank top grunting and whimpering. The brunette stood up, pulling Denzel up with her, "I think Nanaki wants to run around a bit." She patted her knees and began running down the south side of the beach. Nanaki and Denzel were quick to follow, trying to keep up with her sprinting pace. Nanaki roared, and raced ahead, rounding a dune to the other side. Yuffie was scrambling after them, complaining about how 'she wasn't ready.' Tifa suddenly grinded to a halt when she saw the wolf-lion bounding back towards them with determination in his movements. He growled and pawed restlessly at the sand, attempting to snatch the material of Tifa's shorts in his teeth. "'Naki? What's the matter, sweetie?" He began darting back and forth between her and the dune, clenching the muscles in his hindquarters. Denzel ran after the animal, "C'mon Tifa! I think he may have found something!" Yuffie and Tifa exchanged worried glances before following the boy around the curve of the sand dune.

Tifa glanced down the stretch of beach to see what could possibly upset Nanaki so much. Her eyes landed on two large lumps of something laying facedown near the water's edge about 20 or so feet from where she stood. The ninja teen beside her panicked, "Oh my gawd! Teef, I think those are people! Let's go see!" Seizing the princess's hand, she took off towards the two large lumps of something lying in the sand.

The two large lumps of something were indeed people. Two very handsome, very male and very naked people. Nanaki barked and wagged his tail at his great find, rubbing his head against Tifa's leg. Denzel crouched down next to one of their heads, "Do you think they're…dead?" Yuffie looked around, and picked up a tiny twig stuck in the sand. Crawling up close to the bodies, she very slowly, very nervously, poked the raven-haired person. The person let out a muffled breath against the sand that he had his face pressed into. Yuffie jumped back and nearly yelped, but shook it off confidently, "Nope, they're alive all right!" She stood up, and looked expectantly at Tifa, "Well, what should we do?"

The crimson eyed maiden was too enraptured to speak. Looking down on one of the bodies, her eyes transfixed on his shaggy golden hair, that bright, shining yellow hair. "Is that…Do you think?" She spluttered. Yuffie cocked her head, "What?" Tifa lowered herself down next to the blond man, reaching out to touch his glistening pale white skin, "Is it you?" she whispered close to his head. Her quiet inquiry triggered a series of reactions. The raven haired man's head shot up from the sand, causing Tifa to scream in surprise, and Nanaki to crouch next to her protectively. Yuffie also squeaked and grabbed Denzel, who whacked the raven haired man on the head with Yuffie's discarded stick. The man screwed his eyes shut, forming his mouth in the shape of an 'O' as if to say, "Oww!" but no sound came out. He rubbed his head repeatedly to prevent the bump from forming on his skull, and nudged the blond man lying next to him. The golden-haired youth groaned as he awoke from his slumber. Digging his elbows into the sand he pushed his torso partially up, his head still bent towards the ground. Tifa leaned in closer to get a look at his face.

His face was pale, much paler than his dark haired companion's. Two perfectly arched eyebrows were barely visible beneath his bleached, angled bangs. His nose was an elegant length, and perfectly straight. His upper lip was slightly thin, his bottom lip fuller, both shaded a pearly pink. 'So beautiful' she thought to herself, 'It must be him! His eyes…' She turned her blushing stare to his soul-windows, and the warmth in her chest vanished. His eyes…were a ghostly powdered blue, not the vivid ocean eyes she had seen flash at her that day. They were a dull, filmy color and seemed to stare past her without seeing at all. "What's going on? Who's there?" the blonde asked. His voice was low and deep, yet soft and gentle. His frightened face shook back and forth, trying hard to listen. Tifa tilted her head, still studying him. He was so handsome…but not the over-emasculated handsome she was so used to seeing. He had a refined beauty about him, graceful and breathtaking. She looked away from the blonde to look at the dark haired man who was gesturing to get her attention.

The dark haired man was waving and pointing at Tifa, smiling brightly at her like they were good friends who had not seen each other for quite a long while. "Hello there!" She greeted him warmly, "Where did you come from?" The golden haired man whipped his head toward the sound of Tifa's voice, "Ti—" he began to say, but stopped suddenly. Clearing his throat, he began again, "Hello…" he whispered awkwardly. Giggling at his shy demeanor, she extended her hand towards him, "Hello! My name is Tifa." The dark haired man took Tifa's extended hand in his. She looked at him to see him gesturing to the blonde man, and then using his hands he covered his eyes. He placed his hand in front of the paler one's eyes and shook it up and down. He took no notice of this action; he didn't even blink. She understood now why his eyes were so blank and vacant, "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize you were blind." The blonde man hung his head, "Um, yea…" he cleared his throat again, so clearly embarrassed. Smiling sympathetically, she patted his shoulder, "Hey, no need to feel bad about it, silly!" She looked back at the dark haired man, who was still grinning ear to ear at her, "And you…can't speak?" she asked hesitantly. He nodded, and did a mock applause for her. She laughed at his good natured tease.

Yuffie, Denzel and Nanaki watched all these events with utter confusion. Why on earth were there two naked, handicapped men lying on the beach? It was beyond anyone…Tifa spoke again to the blonde man, "So, what are your names?" The blond man shifted his head toward her voice again. He seemed to like hearing it. "I'm Cloud," he said with what Yuffie could swear looked like a faint blush. Tifa sighed dreamily, "Ooh, that's an amazing name! Well, much better than _Tifa_ anyway," she chuckled. Cloud shook his head, "I like your name," he said without hesitation. Laughing, she held his hand, "Why thank you, sir!" She turned to the dark haired man who was grinning and bobbing his head in a childish manner. "And what is your friend's name?" she asked him. "Oh, sorry, this is Zack," he answered. Zack nodded vigorously, taking Tifa's hand and shaking as if to say, 'Hi Tifa! We're gonna be best friends!'

Yuffie and Denzel stood up, "Well, don't WE get to meet the two gorgeous guys?" The ninja demanded, crossing her arms angrily. Tifa stood up, and pulled the two down next to Cloud. Taking Yuffie's and Cloud's hands, she brought the two together, "Cloud, this is my best friend Yuffie. Yuffie, this is my new friend Cloud!" She mimicked the process with Denzel, but when she tried to place Cloud's hand on Nanaki's head, he only growled warningly. Zack eagerly shook Yuffie hand, and kissed it playfully. This earned an excited squeal from the girl, and an extra wink from Zack. When Denzel tried to shake Zack's hand, he stopped the boy, and curled his hand into a fist mouthing 'Pound it, man!' Denzel pressed his fist into Zack's making sure to shout a proper "Booyah!" Once everyone was well acquainted, Tifa decided she really needed answers as to where these two had come from. "Why are you passed on the beach, anyway? Were you hurt at all?" Zack scratched his head. Cloud dug his fingers into the sand below him, "We…um… got into…a swimming accident." Zack grasped the explanation like a life-line, nodding and stroking his legs in what appeared to be discomfort. "A swimming accident? Did something attack you?" Deciding to roll with it, Cloud nodded, "Yea, nasty fight with a barracuda…and a couple electric eels, too." Denzel gasped, "Wow! How did you get away?" Zack pushed out his pectoral muscles, flexing and mimicking punching movements. Yuffie swooned, clasping her hands over her heated face. "I'm really sorry you guys are hurt. Don't worry, you can come back to the palace with us!" Tifa beamed at the two. Denzel nearly choked, "Really?! Tifa, don't you think we might get in trouble by your dad? Or worse…Aerith!" he cowered at just the thought of one of her scoldings. The princess waved her hand nonchalantly, "Don't worry, I'll handle dad. And I'm sure Aerith won't mind! She's really not all _that_ horrible, you know, Denz."

Lifting up off the sandy ground, Tifa brushed off her shorts, "Wait here you guys, I need to borrow some towels or something for them," Tifa raced back the north side of the beach, searching for the large boulder she usually hid her beach-going gear under. Once found, she dug out a slightly damp beach towel, and a yellow sundress that she had used as a cover-up. Running back to the group, she handed Zack the towel, "Just wrap it around your waist, alright?" Gently lifting Cloud's arm, Tifa slid her shoulder's partially under him, "Sorry Cloud, I only had one towel, and since your hips are a smidge narrower than Zack's, I figured that just wrapping my dress around you would work fine." Cloud's ears turned red when he heard Zack snickering and wheezing in an attempt to laugh. He felt Tifa's soft hand slid down his abdominals and desperately tried to smother his growing arousal. The soft cotton of the dress tied around his waist was a different feeling for the ex-merman. He instead concentrated on leaning on Tifa's shoulder as she helped him walk up the grainily beach.

(Author's note: Well! There you have it! I'm so excited to get this story REALLY going! And by the way, has anyone else out there seen Advent Children Complete? I just got it in the mail today, and it's AWESOME! Let me know what you think about it, ok? ^ ^)


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